Shot in the Dark
by fermataoso
Summary: Another crash of thunder, and the yellow florescent lights kicked off. Perfect. The red exit signs mocked her. No lights meant no heat, and she was freezing already. She eyed the disaster outside…no signs of stopping. Collection of one-shots.
1. Clouded

Elphaba stretched her neck and flipped another page to the patter of rain on the windowsill. The chill from the wind seeped through the glass to assault her even huddled under her sweater. The rain hadn't stopped for over twenty-eight chapters now. Much as she loved to read, she'd been eager to leave hours ago.

A crash of thunder reverberated the air, rattling the glass in sympathy. Lightning flashed on the downpour as it whipped itself into a wilder frenzy.

She would never be leaving this library. She might as well find some paperback for a pillow because at this rate, she'd be trapped here until dawn at the earliest. It had to be close to midnight. Would Galinda even notice her absence? A half-daydream of her roommate sick with worry wormed through her thoughts even as she dismissed it. Galinda might be her friend now, but she was definitely not her keeper.

Another crash of thunder, and the yellow florescent lights kicked off. Perfect. The red exit signs mocked her. No lights meant no heat, and she was freezing already. She eyed the disaster outside…no signs of stopping.

Well, if she had to, she might as well get it over with.

Sweater draped around her, she cursed the tall, thick boots sitting innocently in her dorm room. At least leg burns were easy to hide. With a sharp breath, she flung herself to the storm. The book she sacrificed to protect what little she could, but even with that, she felt the stinging rain caustic on her skin.

She darted from cover to cover and fought back the throbbing pain. The last few yards to the dorm were the worst. No trees, no overhang, just wet, rainy death slashing her from the sky. She tackled it at a full sprint and banged hard into the main door.

Her key. Damn it, she should have taken it out already. She dug through her wet pockets, muttering ever more imaginative curses. Her fingers felt thick and sore as she stabbed the metal at the door. Finally, she made it in, and from the all-encompassing darkness, she knew the lights were out here as well.

With a weary grunt, she groped her way toward the stairs. She clawed at her buttons as she hauled herself toward her room. Just a few more steps, and she could trade this soggy mess for some warm, dry towels. Her hand found the wall and counted doorknobs until she reached her own. She hurled herself through the door and threw off the soaked frock. Neck twisted, she wrung out her hair and rummaged for a towel. Why couldn't she find anything in this clutter?

Maybe she could locate one of Galinda's candles.

"Hey, wake up." She crossed to the frilly pink bed on the other side of the room. "Seriously, Glin, I need your help." She shook the lump buried in lacy, fluffy blankets. It wobbled away, and she flopped down beside her roommate. "We need some candles."

A long arm snaked out of the blankets to wrap around her waist. "Mm," a low voice rumbled before warm, soft lips fell to her own. Eyes wide, she whacked at the restraining arm. "Hmm, what's wrong?" A large hand skimmed over her shift. "You feel so, mm," the lips skated over hers, "more so than-"

"Get off me, you cretin! Where's Galinda?"

"Huh?"

Now that sounded familiar. "Fiyero? What in Oz are you doing in her bed?"

He shot straight up, nearly smacking her in the face, and Elphaba fled to her side of the room. "Me? What about you?"

"Where's Galinda?"

"Where's your dress?" he countered. "And the lights? What the hell is going on?"

"Storm knocked them out."

The blanket rustled as he slid off the bed. "Your dress, too?"

She narrowed her eyes, not that he could see. "No, not my dress, jackass. I was trying to get dry."

"Oh." He heard the question in her silence. "Oh, Galinda told me I could sleep here. Avaric's driving me crazy. I haven't slept in ages."

"Where is she?"

The shuffle of cloth told her he must be looking for his shirt. "No idea. Think she's stuck out in all this?"

"I hope not. It's pretty nasty out there." She grabbed her blanket and pulled it around her. "Okay, get out."

"What?! You just said it's terrible."

"And?"

"And I'm not going to get drenched for no reason."

"Well you can't stay here. I need to take care of my, um, dress, before it, um, wrinkles." Even as she argued, she could feel the little pinpricks of water searing into what threatened to become blisters.

"Oh, come on. At least let me stay until it calms down. I'll help you hang up your dress."

"You'll keep your hands off my dress!"

"Yes, ma'am." A fuzzy cloth shoved itself into her hands, and she started. Was he that close? "Towel?"

"Where'd you get that?"

She could picture his shrug as he cleared his throat. "I might have spent some time here in the dark."

"Oh, Oz. So not a mental image I needed!"

He mumbled an apology. "Want another towel?"

"No," she snapped. Then a reluctant, "Yes."

Another fluffy towel made its way to her hands, and she wrapped it securely around her damp hair. "So can I stay? Just till the worst is over?"

"Fine. But you'd better behave."

"Yes, ma'am." She blotted the rest of her skin and wrung out her hair again. "Need anything else?"

"I'm fine." The towel scraped against the beginnings of a nasty burn along her collar, and she hissed a curse.

"Sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Leave me alone!"

A warm hand caught hers, and she startled back, nearly dropping the cool jar pressed between them. "Sure you don't need this?"

"I…what?"

"How bad are they?" She was too stunned to answer. "The burns. You must have been soaked."

"You know about the burns? How?" Mortification sped a flush of heat to her cheeks. "Galinda told you?"

He sighed. "I still don't see what the big deal is. It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

It sounded like an old argument, and she dreaded her next question. "How long have you known?"

"Elphie, I-"

"How long?"

Another heavy sigh. "Look, does this matter? Shouldn't we treat them before it gets worse?"

"Yes, it matters! All the times I told you, made excuses, and you knew?"

He took the cream back, and the click of the jar said he'd opened it. "Where do you need it?"

She snatched the jar out of his hands. "I can do it myself, thank you." He took a step back, and she crossed her arms. "Can you at least turn around?"

"Why? Afraid I'll spy on you?" She felt the gust of air from his gesture. The dark swallowed them still without even a shred of moonlight to dispel it, but still she shifted her weight to the other foot.

"Humor me."

"If I must." She felt him turn, and she dropped the blanket. Her shift, though mostly dry, had damp edges, and she shifted it away from her tender skin.

"I need," she managed a half-mortified whisper. "Could you try to find me a nightgown?"

The silence suffocated her until he came back with a hoarse, "Sure."

She slattered on the cream where she could reach: over ears and hairline, collarbone and neck. Her arms needed so many dots, she must resemble a leper. The splashes on her legs had left long, narrow marks, though below the ankles had avoided the worst of it. That, she knew, would be on her back from where she'd huddled for cover along the way.

"Here." He must have held the gown at arms-length to judge from his voice. She took the cotton material and prayed he had grabbed hers rather than Galinda's.

"Thanks," she murmured, and he echoed the tone with her welcome. At least mortal embarrassment taught them both some better manners. The pain in her back taunted her, so much sharper now that the others didn't draw attention. "You're not…"

Fiyero scoffed. "I'd like to think I can be a gentleman when it's called for."

She bit back a retort in favor of a cautious, "Good, then." With eyes closed, she steeled herself, and discarded her shift to the ground.

No reaction from the other half of the room, and she let out a tenuous breath. Her back to him, she treated the couple dots on her hip and waist before contorting toward those on her back. Shoulder rolling, she stretched and angled, but the middle of her back refused to be met.

She gathered the gown around her as best she could. "Fiyero?"

"Huh."

At least he was back on Galinda's side. She swallowed, and before her nerves could fail her, she asked, "Could you get my back?"

"Wha-I-um, course." She would never live this down. She hung her head as his steps reached behind her. "Um, where's the-"

"Here." She shoved the jar behind her, roughly connecting with his hands. "Not too much. It has to last the week."

"Ouch," he sympathized. "That's rough."

"Yes, well, at least it shouldn't scar."

The hand that fell on her back was gentle as a kitten's fur, but still she winced forward. "Sorry."

She sighed. "It's fine. Um, a little higher."

"Here?"

"Half-inch to the right. Bout the size of your thumbnail."

He followed her instructions, soothing the skin with gentle circles. "It's hard to tell. The skin's so smooth. I mean-"

"No blisters yet. Maybe not at all."

"Yeah." His fingertips danced over her shoulder blade. "Where next?" She guided him to the next spot, surprised when the other hand came up to the nape of her neck. "Hold still," he chastised, but she hadn't so much as breathed since his hand first touched her skin.

"Sorry," she exhaled.

His hand lifted for more cream, and she felt her eyes flutter closed. His breath cooled the ridge of cream smoothed at the base of her neck and shoulder. When had he gotten so close?

The dark made everything feel more intimate, as if the world had compacted to just the two of them, cocooned in darkness.

Between the warmth of his hands and the cool of the cream, she felt slightly feverish. He smoothed cream on the tops of her shoulders, which she'd already reached without him, but she didn't say anything. His hands skated over the backs of her arms, the curve of her spine, her lower back. She swallowed a groan as his fingertips trailed over her sides and ribs.

When it was clear he'd covered every inch of her back, he cleared his throat. "Guess you're all set then."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Anytime." He set his hands on her shoulder for a brief, soft squeeze. "Anytime."

She swallowed hard and pulled her gown over her shoulders. "How's the rain?" They both glanced toward the window where the downpour raged on.

"I can go, if you want. It doesn't seem that bad." She could imagine his lips quirked in a wry grin. "No tornados, at least."

"Shut up." She aimed a punch to his shoulder and got his chest instead. "You can stay."

"Sure?" She shoved him in answer, and he wrapped a hand around her wrist before it connected. "Thanks."

It lasted too long, but she broke the moment to pull away. "It'd be poor payment to kick you out in the storm, after all."

"True."

"And Galinda will be expecting you here, I guess." He made a noncommittal noise in his throat, and she retreated to her bed, only to trip on the damp blanket abandoned on the floor.

"Whoa, hey there." He caught her with an arm around her waist, and she gasped. "Careful."

"How did you-" The blood drained from her face. "Can you…see?"

He set her back on her feet and took a large step back. "That's crazy. It's darker than a grave in here."

"Fiyero Tiggular," she warned, finger forward in a point aimed for his chest. "You'd better not be lying to me."

He dodged her. "What makes you think that?"

"You!" She flailed out to find him, and harrumphed at the empty air she found. He swallowed a chuckle, and she used the sound to latch on to his shirtsleeve. "Gentleman, my ass. How can you see?"

"My father would do most of our training at night, hunting and whatnot. My eyes have always adjusted to it well." He ducked her whack. "But I can't _see_ see, you know? Just enough to see that if I could _see_ see there are some great sights to be seeing, if you see them."

"What?"

"Just shapes and silhouettes. Some great-looking shapes. Soft, smooth, nice-smelling shapes that make you really wish you could be seeing them. That's all."

She wrapped her arms around herself. "…Right."

"Let's just go to bed," then his voice jumped up an octave as he darted away from her shove, "separately, of course."

"I guess the rain doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon." She retreated to her bed and felt for a dry blanket. "I should throw you out after that stunt you pulled."

"Lucky for me you're as generous and good-hearted as you are brilliant."

She rolled her eyes, unseen in the blinding darkness. "You don't have to kiss up. I already said you could stay."

"If I'd have known kissing was any kind of option…" he trailed off at her scoff. "But seriously. Thank you for letting me stay. Goodnight."

"Night." She crawled into bed, and scuttled back off. Stupid! She must have abandoned her soggy hair towel right in the middle of her bed instead of on the floor. She thought about changing all the sheets, in the dark, all with the hopes that the mattress itself was dry, and sighed.

This was a bad idea. She shouldn't.

She crossed the room and shook the blob of frilly blankets again. "Fiyero?"

"Still me."

"My bed is wet. My towel aim is terrible."

"Oh." He scooted over automatically, and with a willful idiocy, she crawled into the warm blankets. She just wanted the day to be over. "Nice and dry over here."

"And warm," she murmured before she caught herself. "You're like a furnace."

"And you're freezing. Oz, woman." His hands folded over one of hers to rub it gently.

"You try being caught in a downpour. You'd be cold, too."

"Well, you're so thin. Probably freeze to death one night in a Vinkun winter." He reached across to trade hands.

"Do they have a winter?"

"A common misconception." He inched toward her. "It may not snow, but it's equally cold."

She edged more on the corner of the pillow. "Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes." His hand twitched over hers. "But Shiz has its own advantages."

"Mm." It must be hard for him – his life split between opposite ends of Oz. She'd never had that problem. Munchkinland was more prison than home for her.

"Still cold?" He leaned over to pinch her nose playfully. "Guess so."

"Shut up." She squirmed away from his hand, but he caught her waist.

"Hey, just trying to help you get warm." His nose found her hair. "Can't have you freeze to death."

Her breath caught. Was he…flirting with her?

The cream must have absorbed straight through her skin to make her hallucinate. She should move away from him, go get in her own bed. She should not turn to bury her nose in the crease of his neck and shoulder. And when he followed a sharp intake of breath with a half-formed kiss to her hairline, she should definitely not let her fingers brush feather-light on the hard, forbidden flesh of his chest.

The fingers on her waist tightened, and he let out his breath with an unsteady rush of air. His scent surrounded her face buried against his neck, drowning her logic in soap and sun and warmth. She shifted toward him just an inch, enough to make her blood race wildly in her veins. His hand trailed up to her jaw, and he tucked his face down so his lips drifted to the corner of her mouth.

They should stop. They hadn't done anything unforgiveable yet. She forced herself to whisper the thought aloud, "We shouldn't."

He nodded, the motion sliding his nose against her cheek. At least he didn't deny it. His eyelashes fluttered against her brow-bone in light, delicate sweeps. She controlled a shiver. He swallowed hard and whispered, "Any warmer?"

Oh, she was warm, alright.

"Yea, I'm…" She gulped in a breath, ready to retreat before she made a complete fool of herself when his lips fell on hers. They were soft and gentle and perfect. He pulled back, her lips following him like lonely pilgrims.

"Sorry," he breathed. "Forget I-"

But her lips had reached his again, and damage done, she was going to make this worth the ensuing fallout. He deepened the kiss and pulled her flush against him. His lips moved over hers hungrily, and she responded with equal fervor. She was a horrible person. A horrible, wicked, stupid person currently attached to the most incredible kisser the whole of Oz had to offer.

He caught her hip, and her leg tangled with his. She twisted a hand in his shirt, hauling him tighter against her. He pulled her thigh higher, hand slipping up her cotton gown. She nipped at his lower lip, and he bit out a groan. They were getting out of control. More so than she could have imagined, when his lips fell to attack her neck right where her collar had exposed the skin to the rain. She hissed and lurched away.

Startled, he jerked back and cracked his head on the bedpost. For a shocked moment, both of them lay there, wide-eyed and breathing hard. "Ow," he raised a hand to his head, before a half-breathed laugh snuck past. She stared at the darkness where he'd been, but the nerves and utter ridiculousness of the situation brought her to laughter, too. Chuckling like children, they lay there for a while, regaining their senses. "Am I that hard to knock some sense into?"

That brought a fresh peal of laughter from them both. Breathless, she leaned into the pillow, calm despite the overwhelming dread she felt. When the hiccups subsided, he trailed a finger over her palm. "You okay?"

"Yeah. You barely touched the burn." She felt his nod, though she knew he'd meant more than just that. "You?"

"Fine. You know I've got a thick skull."

She drew a deep breath, which he mimicked beside her. "We have to tell Galinda."

"Yeah." His fingers intertwined with hers. "I know."

She curled in on herself and put on her most reassuring tone, "She'll forgive you. Don't worry. After enough groveling and jewelry." Can't split up the perfect couple. Elphaba, on the other hand…

"No," he whispered, "she won't. Because I'm not going to apologize."

"Fiyero," she warned, but he pushed on.

"You're the one I want." He let out his breath like Atlas dropping the planet. "Oz, that feels good to finally say out loud." His lips came to her forehead in a soft kiss. "I understand if you don't want me, can't hurt Galinda or whatever. But I can't keep pretending you're not the one I'm thinking of."

"But-"

He stopped her with a soft kiss. "Can…can we not have this argument now? You're going to defend her and say I should be in love with her, and you won't understand that I'm just not. I've heard everything you're going to say a million times in my head, which is why I've never…done anything about this." He pulled her against his side and set their twined hands on his chest. "Let me have this one, okay? Just for a few minutes."

She sighed. "A few minutes," she acquiesced and buried her face back into his neck. "That's all."

"Thanks," he murmured, and he nuzzled the side of her face. "You're amazing."

His thumb stroked over her finger idly, and she let hers return the favor. The dark and the warmth and their newfound quiet spread a false peace through her, and she decided not to worry about the consequences until the storm passed. Lulled by the raindrops, she hoped it would be a long, dark night.

* * *

AN: Thanks to Holly Bush for the story idea. I had way too much fun writing it, hence the length. I thought about adding another 'stuck in the dark' chapter, with an Elpharic pairing. Or Fiyeraba again, if that's what you guys would prefer. Let me know what you guys think, and as always, thanks for reading.


	2. Murky

"This is all your fault." Elphaba dropped her bag by the desk on the way to the lab table where her partner waited.

"Me?" Avaric pointed to the clock. "Least I'm on time."

"I wasn't exactly planning on redoing a lab today." She grabbed an apron and tied it in place. "Tutoring ran long."

He sent his eyes skyward and shook his head. "Of course it did. Still can't get Tiggular passing, huh?"

"He's passing fine," she snapped. "And he's not my only student, jackass."

"Oh, Blondie, then." Avaric organized the test tubes he had already collected and checked the stoppers. "Can't imagine what that's like."

She picked up the pH papers on the way over. "Don't call her that. Why can't you just call people by their names?"

"Fair enough," he tilted his head toward her. "But what do I do for vegetables?"

She didn't dignify the barb with a response and settled for drawing their data table. "Compound 1."

He dipped the dropper in the first test tube and squeezed a bead of the solution on the paper. "Base, pH 12."

"Make sure you flush the dropper." He cocked his head toward her, his hand already on the distilled water, but she made no apology for her doubt. "Compound 2."

He repeated the motion. "Acid, pH 3." So it continued until the reached the end of the unknown compounds. "Get the sodium bicarbonate."

Elphaba went to the supply table. "Just don't add it to the test tubes."

"I'm not an idiot."

"Tell that to this morning," she groused, locating the white powder. "Then I wouldn't have to give up an hour of free time for this."

"You mean library time. Doesn't this count the same?" He snatched the powder from her. "And for the last time, I didn't screw up the last one. You did."

"By…recording what you said?"

He spun to face her. "You distracted me!"

"What? How did I distract you?"

"Are you kidding me?" His voice grew more animated. "Seriously. You're going to deny breathing down my neck?"

"I wanted to see the reaction!" His eyebrows lifted, and she blushed despite her best intentions. "Of the chemicals, idiot. To make sure you didn't screw it up, which you still managed to do."

"And how did that work out for you?"

She narrowed her eyes and nodded toward the white powder now sprinkled over the floor tiles.

"Son of a-"

"There's not any more out here. We'll have to go track down Master Rekabe."

"And have to start a third time?" Avaric let out another string of profanities. "The stockroom's propped open. I'll just go get more."

"You can't go in there."

"Watch me." He set down the dropper and strode toward the stockroom on the opposite end. She crossed her arms, and then jumped to her feet. "Where are you going?"

"To make sure you do it right."

"Oh, yeah, your expertise is so helpful. However could I survive without it?" The look Elphaba shot him must have been illegal, but it bounced unheeded off his back.

They scanned the shelves. Magnesium, Potassium Hydroxide, there - Sodium Bicarbonate. It teetered on the top shelf, and Avaric flashed a smug look over his shoulder at her.

"Want to get it, or shall I?" Tall as she might be, her height fell a full four inches below his lean frame. Even on her tiptoes she'd get a fingertip on the jar at most.

"Sure." She grabbed a chair from the doorway and lugged it over to the shelves with a haughty expression. She climbed up and wrestled the jar free. It jerked loose and swung down heavily, but Avaric caught it before it slipped from her grip. "There you go."

He swooped his eyes over her skeptically, but didn't call her on it. Despite it's weight, Avaric easily lifted the jar to a lower shelf. "Is there a scoop?"

She turned to scan the dim shelves at the top. "Yeah. Hang on." She lifted on the tips of her toes, stretching for the scoop that had slid back on the dusty metal.

The door shut behind them with a click, and they both spun to look at it. The lights blinked off as the door triggered the switch, and she seized the shelf in a tense grip, unnerved by the sudden blindness. Avaric captured her thoughts entirely with his sharp curse.

She heard him go to the door and fidget with the handle. "Locked. Lurline, this is the worst lab ever."

"Thanks, Avaric. Really helpful."

"What do you want me to do? I can't unlock the door without the key. I don't know about you, but I don't have Rekabe's keys on me. So I guess we're out of luck."

"Can't you pick the lock or something?"

"How delinquent do you think I am?" He couldn't see her expression, but apparently he didn't need to. "No, I can't pick the lock. We're stuck in here until someone comes back."

Perfect. Just perfect.

"Let's go get it from the storeroom," she mocked. "What could possibly happen? Besides getting locked together in the dark."

His breath in was measured. She waited for a retort, but nothing came. When he spoke, he was closer than she'd thought. "You need help down?"

She jumped, the chair clattering conspicuously on its metal legs. "I've got it."

"I offered," the dismissal in his voice imperious. It made her more determined to prove she didn't need his help.

The chair had tilted away from the shelves, and she couldn't feel precisely where it had landed. Normally she'd have no issue stepping down without aid, but the dark messed with her sense of balance. Everything seemed farther, and yet closer. She groped her way down to the lower shelf, and nearly slipped on a plastic sheet of some type.

Avaric let out a sigh, and reached up for her. She jerked away, scooting the chair again, and despite his steadying arm, she couldn't connect in a stable enough way to keep her upright. Down she went in a flutter of arms and legs. She couldn't only hope she didn't break anything.

She landed hard on her knee with a metallic thud, smacking one elbow into the shelf and the other into Avaric's stomach. He absorbed her weight with an, "Oomph." For a second, she thought they'd topple the rest of the way to the ground, but he managed to right them.

"You alright?"

She got her feet back under her and tested her arm with a hiss.

"El?"

"Yeah. No, I'm okay. Just banged up."

A hand found her wrist, then worked up to her elbow. She yelped and pulled away, but his strong grip didn't relent. He pressed against the rapidly swelling joint and tested its rigidity. "I don't think it's broken."

"Yeah. Hurts like a sonofa though."

"I'm sure." The sympathy in his tone took her by surprise. "Did you hit anything else?"

"Besides you?" He chuckled. "My knee, but not as bad."

She felt his hand start that direction, and she stepped back. "Hey, not so fast. Just because it's dark doesn't mean I'll play doctor."

"Oh, you wish."

Her tone was dry. "Right."

He caught her upper arm and leaned down to breathe in her ear. "Trust me, you'd be coming back for a follow-up."

"You flatter yourself," but she was glad he couldn't see her expression or feel the heat of her blush.

His lips grazed her temple. "Not even a little."

He probably wasn't exaggerating. He'd had enough practice, what with the entire female population of Shiz swooning over him. Without a shred of light, she could picture him clearly, his chiseled cheekbones, his noble chin, the firmness of his muscles. His penetrating eyes that no doubt trained on her despite the darkness. Something about his gaze always unnerved her. As if he saw through her. Knowing him, he could probably still see despite the inky nothingness.

His deep breath rustled the hair against her ear. She felt her eyes flutter close, though it didn't change the view. "We might be in here a while."

"Yeah." She swallowed hard and forced a more normal tone. "I guess we should sit down." The presence behind her lifted, and she heard metal clatter as he located the chair. "Avaric?"

"I'm fine. Just my shin." She felt his hand find hers, and he tugged her toward him. "Here."

She groped for the chair to sit and only found Avaric. He dragged her onto his lap, and she struggled to break free. Strong arms wrapped around her.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm not sitting on your lap!"

He snickered. "Afraid I'll assault you?"

"No." Yes. And that she might like it. She renewed her futile protests with a frantic energy, but his arms wouldn't budge.

"Relax. I'm perfectly capable of being a gentleman. I may not choose to be, but I am capable."

"Oh, that's reassuring." She fought the urge to punch him. "Says the one chivalrous enough not to surrender the chair."

"Hey, it's not my fault there's only one."

"So sit on the ground."

He caught her chin to turn her toward him pointlessly in the darkness. She felt her breath stutter. The pad of his thumb dug into the underside of her jaw, transmitting her hard swallow. "What is it you're so afraid of?"

She let out an airy, "Nothing."

"If I can handle being this close to you, you should be able to tolerate it, too."

"Yes, how awful for you. Let me assure you, the green's not contagious."

"Thank Lurline," he sniped back.

"So…" She ran her tongue over her teeth in thought. "What now?"

"We wait." And they did, in silence so awkward she couldn't help but squirm. Which only made it worse. His arm clamped down on her waist. "Settle down. You're going to impale me with that bony ass of yours."

"Well, you would be the expert on asses." She frowned at the darkness. "This sucks. I'm going to sit on the ground."

"And risk knocking over something caustic? Be my guest. Good luck reaching the safety shower on the other side of that locked door."

She adopted a sickly sweet tone, "Better than sitting on something caustic deliberately."

"Most girls would kill to be on my lap, you know."

"You're thinking of Santa." She pushed back the hairs that had escaped her braid to land in her eyes. "Ugh, and at this rate, we'll probably be in here until Lurlinemas."

"Don't be so dramatic. He'll be back to check on us sooner or later. Probably sooner. He has to know there's a good chance we'll kill each other without supervision."

She tried to believe him, but she was starting to feel trapped. Without her sight, her other senses filled the void with complaints. "Is it just me or is it freezing in here?"

"You don't need an excuse, Thropp. Just say you want to cuddle." Her puff of annoyance answered for her. Though, as much as she hated to admit it, they basically were already. And now that he'd drawn her attention to it, she felt the comfortable heat he made against her back and where his arm encircled her waist.

She let her frozen fingers drift closer, but stopped herself before she reached his arm. It wasn't worth the ridicule. She twisted them in the loose fabric of her skirt instead, kicking herself for not wearing a sweater.

Without warning, he swung her around so her legs draped over his lap and brought her arm around his neck. Her resistance only brought a new spike of pain through her knee and elbow. His hand came back to her waist lest she tip them over. "Could you hold still?"

"Me? You're the one hauling me around like a sack of oats. What's your problem, anyway?"

"My legs fell asleep. Sorry that's such a hassle for you." He shifted her weight again. "Maybe if you didn't feel like a sack of oats..."

"Oh, shut up, I weigh at least half as much as your ego, and you manage to carry that around all day."

From her new position, her fingers fell against the warm skin of his neck. She tried to casually shift the other hand closer to his waist. "You weren't kidding about the cold, huh. Are your hands always this freezing? They're colder than Kumbricia's grave."

"Shut up," she complained without much force as his hand came to cover hers. She fought a sigh of contentment at the sudden rush of warmth. "How are you so hot?" she bit back before she realized what a terrible insult it was. "I mean-"

"Oh, I know what you mean." His chuckle rumbled an inch from her forehead at most. "Freudian slip?"

"No." Her cheeks burned. Well, at least she'd gotten some of that warmth after all. "You're an ass."

"A hot one, though."

She curled her fingers in his shirt. If he was going to tease her, she'd at least make it worth something. She buried her face in his chest to rub her frozen nose against the warm fabric.

"Am I a tissue now?"

Her reply came out muffled by his chest. "My nose is cold." She felt his breathing deepen, and her face rode the rapid rise and fall of his chest. She shifted to get comfortable, but without success. She abandoned his chest and tucked her nose between his neck and shoulder. He sucked in a breath as warmth radiated through her.

"Oz, El. Warn a guy."

Her eyes fluttered closed, comfortable at last. His fingers drew idle patterns on the back of her hand, and she let out a sigh. This was almost nice. She let her fingers echo the patterns against his neck. It kept the boredom at bay, deciphering the form to recreate it.

"What's that smell?" his voice came out throaty after not talking for a few minutes. He dipped his nose to her hair, and a rush of cool air passed her forehead.

She grit her teeth. "Let me guess, rotten artichoke, or is it some other vegetable?"

"No, I mean," another deep inhale, "you smell really good."

"Oh." She shifted awkwardly at even the minor praise. "Thanks. You, uh, smell nice, too."

He nuzzled the hair near her temple, the swell of his lips trailing lightly over her cheek. The rush of adrenaline took her by surprise, and her fingers tightened in his shirt. She let out a ragged breath.

He took the breath as permission, and his lips skated over her cheek with half-formed kisses. She should push him off, slap him, something, but instead she felt her lips echo the motions against his throat. His hand against her waist flattened and curled with each brush of her lips. It drifted to her hipbone.

She pulled back to tell him to stop, when his lips found hers. Soft and gentle, he kissed her with a skill that made her resent what she had to do. She indulged for a long moment, and then pushed him away. "What're we doing?"

He caught her jaw and pulled her back to him. "I think," he rained a kiss on her lips, "that's pretty," another, "self-explanatory." He deepened the kiss, and she couldn't help but bury her hand in his hair to pull him toward her. Damn if he couldn't kiss.

"I mean," she breathed as he tilted the opposite direction. "Shouldn't we…"

"Make the most of it?" He assaulted her lips hungrily and pressed her tighter against him. "I agree."

"No, I meant." She struggled to the think, but he didn't give her opportunity. His lips fell to her neck, nipping and sucking the sensitive skin there. All she could do was react to the overwhelming sensations his lips and fingers prodded in her.

He hushed her and returned to her lips. His tongue caressed her bottom lip, and she moaned when it found her own. His fingers combed through her hair to the back of her neck. She let her hands slide over his chest and shoulders, feeling the hard muscles bunch and twist.

He grabbed either side of her waist and hauled her up, repositioning them so she straddled him. He drew his hands down her back to her hips. His thumbs pressed into the hollow there, and she arched forward, both hands curled in his hair. He massaged the sensitive skin, and combined with the intensity of his kiss, she couldn't help the low moan that escaped her.

His hands skated lower over her thighs to her knees and reached her hem. He slid them under and started his way back up. With a sharp breath, she yanked herself away, nearly falling on her unsteady feet as she fled. Her back slammed into the metal shelves with an ominous clinking of jars.

They both took a second to catch their breath before she ran a shaky hand over her lips. "Um, what the hell was that?"

"A far better way to pass the time than you yelling at me." She felt the air shift from him reaching for her. "Now can you get back over here?"

She crossed her arms as much to avoid temptation as to keep him from her. "Stay away from me."

"What, are you-" The chair skittered on the ground as he stood. "Are you mad? What the hell for?"

"You, you," she spluttered around looking for a crime she could articulate that she hadn't clearly reciprocated. "Your hands do _not _belong up my dress."

"How do you know?" he cooed, closer than she'd thought. She scooted back uselessly into the shelves, rocking the jars with a steady clink. "You haven't given it a try yet."

"Just keep your hands to yourself."

She could free his breath on her face as his whispered, "Fair enough." She tried to dodge out of his way, only to meet one arm. And found the other when she made for the opposite direction. Fenced in, she pressed back until the shelves dug painfully into her spine. "I can think of plenty to do without hands."

"Get away from me."

His nose brushed into her neck. "And if I say no?"

"I'll scream," she threatened.

His lips found her ear. "Oh, I'm sure you'll do that eventually anyway."

"Cad." She pushed against him, but without result. His lips were working their magic again, melting her resistance kiss by sinful kiss. "I said stop."

"If you want." He leaned back so quickly that she fell forward into him. He chuckled. "Now, now. No need to throw yourself at me."

She shoved off him with more force than necessary, slamming herself back against the shelves that groaned at the motion. The tinkle of broken glass had Avaric yanking her away, and the shelves tipped back dangerously. She held her breath. But they didn't collapse.

"You okay?"

She nodded, dazed.

"El? You okay?"

Oh, right. He couldn't see her. She coaxed her cottoned throat to let out a, "Yeah," and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"What do you think broke?"

"I hope nothing important."

He gave a derisive huff that must have been accompanied with an eye roll. "Or life-threatening. Priorities, El."

"Oh, shut up. If you hadn't been mauling me, none of this would have happened."

"Oh, yeah? If you hadn't followed me in here, you could have just opened the door ages ago."

"If you hadn't messed up the first lab, we wouldn't have had to redo it in the first place!"

"Well, if you hadn't been pressing against me like a lovelorn harlot, I wouldn't have!"

He spun away from her, both of them breathing hard. She bit her lip to hold back the torrent of insults she wanted to hurl at him. Her fingers shook as they clenched into a fist. "I hate you, Avaric Tenmeadows," she kept her voice even. "I really, honestly hate you."

"Back at you, Green Bean."

"Don't call me that," she hissed.

"Or?"

She met his challenge with her fist, but before it landed, he turned. She hit the shelves behind him instead, the metal biting into her hand. "Ow!" She shook her injured hand gently. "Sweet Lurline, that hurts."

"What'd you do, now?" He reached for her hand, but she snatched it away.

"Stay away from me."

He yanked her toward him, strong hands holding her at bay despite her struggles. "Yesh, El, you're a walking catastrophe." But the anger had drained from him, and he soothed his words with a thumb over her bruised knuckles. "It's a miracle you've managed to survive this long with all your limbs."

"Shut up," but the pain and his ministrations had ebbed away the worst of her anger, as well. "Wouldn't have hurt if you hadn't moved."

"That's where you're wrong. Never hit anyone before?"

"I have." She jutted her chin up. "What, are you made out of steel or something?"

"Just parts." Ugh. How like him. She tried to pull her hand back, but again, he refused to let go. "Trying for another round?"

"Sure. Hold still this time."

He dipped his face toward hers. "Only if you promise to kiss and make it better." To prove his point, he brought her wounded hand to his lips.

"Like I'd kiss you."

"Again," he supplied, his lips brushing over her fingers. She made a face. "Admit it, you liked it."

She wanted to deny it, but it had been pretty obvious. So she opted for silence.

"Fine. Don't admit it." His lips drifted up to her wrist. "Just repeat it."

"I'm not going to kiss you again."

Up to her elbow. "Let me kiss you, then."

"Aren't you already?"

Her shoulder. "Mm, true." Her collarbone. "Very good point, Thropp." Her neck. "Very, very good."

Despite herself, she tipped her chin back to give him more room to work with. He took immediate advantage, drawing waves of heat through her at the pressure and release of his mouth on her skin. She swallowed hard, her throat bobbing against his lips. He groaned.

"You taste…"

"Like grass?" she supplied obstinately.

He punished her with a sharp nip at the muscle joining neck and shoulder. She gasped. "Be nice."

She nodded dumbly, eyes fluttering closed. He moved to the hollow of her collarbone, then down to her neckline. He nosed the first button open. "Avaric?"

"Hm?"

"Are you-I'm feeling a little," she swallowed again, the world of physics failing her. "Light-headed?"

He nodded, the motion tickling her chin with his hair. "Me, too."

"Think it's the jar we broke?"

"Maybe." He pressed an open-mouthed kiss to her cleavage. "Maybe not."

"Huh."

He used his teeth on the next button, and she had to clutch his shoulders to stay upright. "Should we move to the ground?"

"Might be safer," she admitted. She knelt, and with his help, stretched out on the cold tiles. She shivered. "Never mind. Too cold."

He came to rest over her, his elbow supporting him on either side of her. The warmth from his body mixed with the cold to kick her senses into overdrive. "Better?"

She nodded, and his lips returned to hers. With him pressed against her, she couldn't miss feeling how much he was enjoying this, and she blushed. His lips moved over hers constantly, soft, warm kisses that ebbed and flowed but never stopped. His hips shifted against hers, and her leg instinctively wrapped around his. He groaned, deepening their kisses. This was a bad idea, a distant part of her recognized, but it just felt so damned good.

She twined her arms around his neck and dragged her fingernails against his scalp. He pulled back to groan. "Oz, El, what are you doing to me?"

"Me?" Her head fell back against the tile. "You're-" But she couldn't finish the thought. She went back to his lips.

He nipped at her lower lip, his kisses growing more urgent. His hips bucked against her hard and insistent. He reached for her, then pulled his hands back with a frustrated groan. "Right. No hands."

"Mm." She didn't remember why, but he seemed confident enough.

"Thropp? Tenmeadows?" A voice called from far away. Avaric paused, but when no reply came, he fell back to her lips. The door wrenched open, and lights flooded the small closet.

Avaric groaned his complaint as she reached up to shield her eyes.

"What in Oz's name are you two doing in here?" A beat, and a much more stern, "Get up, the both of you! For the love of-you're supposed to be doing a lab, not," he sputtered, "making out."

"Sorry," Avaric muttered. He managed to stumble to his feet and pull Elphaba up. "It was an accident."

She peeked through her eyelashes to see Rekabe's very red face. "Accident?"

"I spilled the-" he gestured for the word, and their professor's eyes fell to the shattered jars by the shelves.

"Holy," he held in a curse with a tight grimace. "Get out of here! Now! Who knows what you've exposed yourselves to, all for your…stupid adolescent hormones!"

"But our lab-"

"Out!" he roared, and Avaric hauled her out of the supply closet. He collected their bags, and she followed with wobbly legs. Once in the hall, she sagged against his side.

"We failed, didn't we?"

"The lab?" He drew in a deep breath. "Yeah, probably." Then he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and led her toward the stairs with a grin. "But it was worth it."

* * *

AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'll have a Fiyeraba chapter next since the choices were so close.

And thanks for all of you wished me good luck on my interview. It went really well, though the flight back last time was delayed over an hour (hence the length of this chapter). Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think.


	3. Shadowed

AN: The rating for this chapter is definitely a high T. Let me know if you think it should be an M.

And thanks to cisplatin for the chemical corrections in the last chapter. I really appreciate the help.

* * *

Elphaba tucked her hair behind her ear as much to stop her fidgeting as to move the troublesome lock out of her way. How had she let Galinda talk her into this?

The blonde passed her a cup, and she forced herself to take a sip. The sweet punch did little to hide the bitter spike of alcohol. "Having fun?"

"I guess."

Fiyero lounged on the blonde's other side, an empty bottle dangling between his thumb and pointer finger. He nodded toward the punch. "Can I try?"

She rocked onto her knees to pass the cup over Galinda to him and tried not to blush as his lips met the cup where hers had been. His nose wrinkled.

"Ugh, way too sweet."

Avaric smacked a fresh bottle in his hand. "You're welcome to do better."

"Got any sour mix?"

"Nope. Just punch."

Fiyero gave a half-shrug. "I guess that's the best you can do, then." He handed it back to her and nodded a thanks to Avaric for the beer.

Galinda giggled, though no one knew at what, and leaned her head on the prince's shoulder. "So, whose turn?"

"Waiting on the girls," Avaric leaned back on his elbows and rolled his head back to face the closet door a few feet behind him. "Time's up ladies."

Pfannee and Shenshen stepped out, retouching their hair self-consciously. Shenshen passed the other girl her lipstick without a word. They took their places and popped their compacts open.

"Have fun?" he grinned. Neither dignified him with a response, though Pfannee's nose jutted higher. "You're up, Boq."

The munchkin flicked a covert glance toward Galinda and spun the bottle. It wobbled, slower and slower until it clunked to a stop.

Shenshen sighed. "I just sat down." They headed back to the closet and shut the thick door with a soft thud.

Pfannee snapped her compact shut. "So, what did I miss?"

"Nothing. Finished the last game." Avaric handed her a fresh cup of punch. "Circle of Death or Quarters?"

Fiyero shifted Galinda before she fell in his lap. "I think we might want to make it lighter."

"But Circle of Death is awesome."

"You just like the name." His friend shrugged. "Fine, we'll still call you that."

"Deal." Avaric puffed up. "Game's Horse Race. Place your wagers and stock your drinks. And call me Dealer of Death, or you get a five second drink penalty."

Galinda raised her glass high in the air, "A hundred on yellow!"

Fiyero caught her hand and pulled it down, laughter in his voice as he said, "She meant two on…diamond?" She giggled and nodded. "Diamond."

"They're shiny."

"Yes, they are." Fiyero shot Elphaba an amused look over the blonde's head, and she fought a smile. Her roommate was particularly adorable intoxicated. A feature Elphaba had no delusion she might share.

"Five on spades," Pfannee offered, eyes fluttering at Avaric. "And Dealer of Death?"

The other boy grinned. "Yes, milady?"

"Do you have anything straight? This punch is awful."

"Sure thing." He eyed her with smug desire. "Gotta love a woman who can take her alcohol." He handed her a bottle of clear liquor and turned to Fiyero.

"Ten on hearts."

"How romantic." Galinda giggled up at him and leaned up for a kiss, but he bumped a thumb against her nose.

"Goose." He turned to her. "You're up, Elphie. Pick a suit and number of drinks."

"I guess one on clubs."

"One?" Avaric frowned. "That's pathetic. Come on."

"Hey, leave her alone," Fiyero interjected softly. "She can bet what she wants."

"I guess I can do two if Galinda can."

"Yay! We're twinsies!" The blonde scrambled over to loop her arms around Elphaba. "Like sisters!"

Avaric dealt the cards. "Alright. Drink half."

Fiyero tossed his back easily, and then he corralled Galinda to help her tip her cup without spilling. Pfannee chugged straight from the bottle to earn a searing look from Avaric. All but her.

Elphaba stared at the drink she'd been nursing. The red liquid mocked her. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Fiyero's lean toward her. "Hey, seriously. You don't have to."

Did she want to? She might blame Galinda, but she'd come to loosen up. What good did it do just to sit on the sidelines? After all, the bet was low. She was in little danger of losing control. And Fiyero wouldn't let anything happen to her.

She poured the drink down with huge swallows until he caught the bottom of her cup to tip it away from her. "Slow down, there. You only drink half."

She wiped her mouth and flashed a smile so he'd lose that perpetually worried look. "Sorry. Got carried away."

"Just, be careful."

Avaric flipped over the first card. "And the spade takes an early lead." He moved the ace up a space and turned the link card. He flipped the next card from the deck. "The heart goes forward," the link card revealed a spade, "and, oh, the spade moves back. We're in for a horse race on this one." The cards continued, and he narrated the game, "Challenged by the heart. Another spade. And the diamond leaves the gate."

Galinda whooped happily. "Go diamond!"

Elphaba couldn't help but grin at her. The game continued, each suit taking its turn in the lead until finally the spade and the heart hovered one space from the winner's circle.

"Ready?" Avaric rubbed the card between his fingers, eyebrows wiggling. "Here we go." He slapped the card down, and the room erupted in groans and cheers. "Spade wins!"

Fiyero chugged down his other five drinks, nodding for the girls to do likewise. Pfannee tapped her lip with a finely manicured nail. "What to do? What to do?"

Avaric shot a devious grin at the others and leaned over to whisper in the winning girl's ear.

"Ooh, that's so-" she giggled as he leaned back. "Well, first of all, Fiyero, I have to give you at least a couple." She fluttered her eyelashes at him. "How about three?"

He drank them without complaint, surprised at so few. He shot a guarded look to the girls at his left.

"Galinda, my sweet friend." The blonde tittered at her happily. "Let's keep you conscious. One drink, honey."

He tipped the drink back for her and took the cup before it spilled.

Elphaba did the math and breathed a sigh that she only had one left to dole out. Pfannee's grin was predatory. "One for the Dealer of Death, of course." Avaric raised his eyebrows. "Unless he's too chicken."

"Not at all." He took a shot with a chuckle. "And your other five?"

"Huh?" Elphaba's face paled. "What other five?"

"You get double your bet," he explained while Pfannee gave her meaningful smile.

"Well, Thropp, I think you're the only one left. Got enough for five in your glass?"

Fiyero swiped her punch and downed it. "Nope," he grinned roguishly. "Sorry, I got thirsty."

Pfannee's smile froze for a second before it widened. "That's okay. I'll share mine." She held out the liquor bottle, but he snatched it away.

"Be nice."

Avaric looked between the two and located Pfannee's neglected punch. "Here, El. Let's say four, since Tiggular got greedy."

She gulped the drink before she could get cold feet. The warm punch felt sticky and too sweet, but it didn't make her feel any different.

Game duties completed, he leaned back to tap on the door. "Time's up, Boqy. Let her go."

Shenshen opened the door and led the munchkin out by the hand, grinning. They didn't speak, but Boq's blush couldn't have been darker without needing medical attention.

"Ooh, Elphie's turn!"

Fiyero looked down at his girlfriend in surprise, but Avaric jumped to comply. "Alright, Thropp. Spin it hard. No fair trying to make it land on me." He shot her wink, "Unless you have killer aim."

Elphaba swallowed hard and spun. She watched it tick around each of them, surprised that none tried to lean out of its way. It slowed. Any second. Past Avaric. Boq. Herself. And came to a stop between Fiyero and Galinda. He must have leaned to whisper something to Galinda, because it clearly pointed at them both.

"Alright," Avaric took charge. "All three of you, in the closet."

Galinda bobbed to her feet, and Fiyero offered Elphaba a hand up. She blushed. Oh, Oz, why had she let herself get talked into this juvenile game. Her roommate clasped Fiyero's hand and pulled him after her with a wickedly sexy grin. Elphaba felt like such an interloper.

Fiyero turned to her as she shut the door, a sliver of light coaxing through the crack. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

She opened her mouth to answer, but a soft pair of lips captured her own. Soft, small hands wound around her neck. Surprised, she let herself return Galinda's open kiss with a tentative response.

Fiyero's breath in was sharp. Her eyes flew to meet his in a wide stare that matched his own. He drew a ragged breath as he watched his girlfriend press against her. Elphaba didn't think she'd even seen such intense lust, certainly never at her. She let herself deepen the kiss with Galinda, earning a moan from both of them.

Then the blonde stepped back. He didn't so much as breathe, his eyes still locked with Elphaba as his girlfriend took her hand. She walked her roommate over to him, and tiptoed up to kiss Fiyero with an easily familiarity that had Elphaba blushing again. She felt the loss of his gaze, allowing herself to finally breathe.

Galinda released his lips with a soft, wet sound, and pulled Elphaba to her. She kissed her again, then Fiyero. Elphaba felt her heart pound. His lips were inches from hers. Then Galinda passed Elphaba's hand into his.

Fiyero took the permission without a second thought. He cupped Elphaba's chin and pulled her into a soft kiss. His lips moved over her with unequivocable skill, soft and warm and intense. She tried not to overthink it, enjoying how amazing it felt to finally kiss him.

Galinda's hands ran through her hair as her lips found her neck, and Elphaba jolted with surprise. Fiyero pulled her back to him with a low wordless murmur of complaint. He nipped her bottom lip and soothed it with his tongue, and her knees failed her. She tipped forward against him. His hands came to steady her, then slid around her back to crush her to him.

Galinda whispered in her ear, "I've got to pee. Be right back."

Elphaba turned, but Fiyero answered with a husky, "Okay."

She padded over to the door, and the brief intrusion of light made Elphaba squint. She was alone with Fiyero. Kissing him. A shiver worked through her, and he pulled back.

"You alright?"

"Yeah."

He didn't give another opening, his lips already back to coaxing hers. She returned his kiss eagerly. The shock passed, she decided to make this time worth the frustration that would follow. It had been hard enough to convince herself that her feelings for him were only platonic before, but cursed with the memory of how fantastic he felt pressed against her, she hadn't a chance.

His hands found her hips, and he pulled her up against him. He must have used the sliver of light to search for a better location as then he backed her against a post, his lips never leaving hers. Their kisses were fast, impatient, intense. His tongue tangled with hers, drawing a soft moan from her. He returned it with one of his own and hiked her knee to his hip, his hand slipped beneath the hemline of her skirt. She let her shoe drop and ran her bare foot over his calf, earning her a fevered rush of air. His other hand buried itself in her hair at the nape of her neck, and he ground his hips against her. She gasped at the feel of him, thick and hard against her. She had done that? An odd sense of power rippled through her that she affected him as deeply as he affected her.

He abandoned her lips to nip and suck at her earlobe, then her neck. He hit a spot that sent a wave of heat through her, and she clutched his shoulders not to whimper. He laid another open-mouthed kiss on the spot, and she arched her body into him to remove the half hair-width of space between them.

"Oh," she groaned. "Oh, Oz. Yero, that's-"

His right hand slid up her thigh, ignited the skin there, all the way to the edge of her panties. He abandoned her hair to work his left hand up the back of her shirt, his palm flat against her bare skin.

The feel of him shot through her vein likes a drug, intoxicating and addictive. She ground her hips against his, pleased at his wild response. He returned to her lips so feverishly that each kiss fell half within the next. She'd never felt so out of control, so driven by lust. He went back to her neck, and she clutched his shirt tightly.

"Fae," he growled, a half-formed attempt at her name that made the blood rush to the warmth between her legs. "Damn, I want you." His fingers toyed with the edge of her underwear, and she let out a breathless moan. "Want you so bad."

She swallowed, then trailed her nose over his ear. "Yeah." He bucked against her as she sucked his earlobe between her teeth. She ran her tongue over the sensitive skin. "Me, too."

He pulled back for a blinding kiss. His fingers dipped beneath the last layer of cloth on her hip, tracing patterns with the pad of thumb over the inside of her hipbone. She dug her fingers into his shirt, dragging handfuls of the cloth up toward his shoulder. He leaned back to pull off the offending garment, and even in the near blackness, she could see the shapes trailing over his well-defined chest and abdomen.

He tried to move back to her, but she held a hand to his chest, curiosity somehow cooling the lust. She traced the shadow into a diamond, then another, trailing lower over his warm skin. He watched her, though the darkness hid her expression. She leaned forward and traced one with her lips.

He let out a sharp breath of air. Pleased at his response, she trailed to the one below, skating down the hard muscles. He reached his stomach, then lower, his breath faster and shallower with each inch. She reached for his belt, curious if they went below, and he hauled her up to his mouth.

Wildly, he kissed her, his fingers tangling in her hair, then hip, then clothing. He ripped at her blouse, dragging it apart so forcefully she might have lost a button. His lips fell to the swell of her breasts as his fingers returned below her skirt. He didn't settle for her hip this time, flicking over her panties with a skill that had her melting in a wordless moan.

Then the door cracked open, and shut again. "Miss me?"

Elphaba froze, uncertain at Galinda's reaction once she realized how little they had. But a loud rap at the door came, and Fiyero cursed. "Go away," he called, and Avaric's laugh boomed back.

"Time's up. You'll have to hope you get another turn."

"Like hell," he growled, hauling Elphaba firm against him when he felt her feeling for her clothes. "We're not coming out."

The door cracked open. "Tick, tock, Tiggular. Or I come join them and kick you out."

The noise he made in his throat was disgusted, but Fiyero let her go. She re-buttoned her blouse, then groped along the floor to help him find his shirt. Redressed, they found their way to the door.

"I see you three had some fun," Avaric teased, eyeing her missing button and the front of Fiyero's tight pants.

"Asshole," he returned with no good humor, and his friend clapped a hand on his back.

"There's always round two. Or hell, you do go home with them, right? I mean, it's not like you have a roommate to worry about." Avaric shot her a good-natured wink, and she blushed, hard and fast.

In the light of the study, she couldn't believe she'd let it get so out of hand. Sure, she wanted Fiyero for ages, even if she had tried to deny it to her herself. But he had no real intentions toward her beyond the physical. He was with Galinda. Galinda, her roommate. Galinda, her best friend. Galinda, her _only_ friend. So why did she let it go so far?

She trailed after them back to the circle, feeling sick. Avaric reached for the bottle, tilted a roguish smile at her, and she turned to her friends. "Guys, I think I'm going to head back. I'm really tired."

"Oh, Elphie," Galinda complained. "But it's still early."

"It's one in the morning."

"Only one."

But Fiyero stood. "I'll walk you back."

A blush tore through her at Avaric's words replaying in her mind. "It's okay." Much as she wanted to, she had to have some sort of self-control. "You should stay with Galinda."

"She's fine. The girls can walk her home."

"Fiyero, she's drunk. You really want to leave her alone and intoxicated around Avaric."

For a moment, she thought he'd say he didn't care, but then his shoulders sank. "Then stay with us." She shook her head. He sighed. "Alright, Glin, we're going."

"What?" She turned on him. "I don't want to go. Why do we have to leave?"

"Because. Come on."

She was going to dig her heels in when Boq spoke up. "I can take her home."

Fiyero crossed his arms. "No, we're going now. I'm tired, too."

"No, I meant, Miss Galinda. I can stay with her."

"Oh, great." His eyes flicked to Elphaba for her approval. Boq was reliable, and he'd been in love with Galinda far too long to let anyone take advantage of her. She was surprised he would let the munchkin alone with her drunk and vulnerable, but Boq wouldn't do more than profess his undying love.

"If you're sure." He retrieved their jackets and led her to the door. Once outside, she forced herself to say, "For the record, nothing's going to happen. If that's why you wanted to go home with me."

He frowned. "Of course not. I'm not Avaric."

The tense set to his jaw said she'd offended him. He probably didn't even want to. He'd only been swept up in the moment like she had. "But you don't have to feel obligated to walk me home."

He stopped walking and raked a frustrated hand through his hair. "I'm that obnoxious, huh? If you don't want to be alone with me, I'll go get Boq to take you home."

"I don't need an escort."

"You not walking home alone in the dead of the night."

How had things spiraled so far out of hand? "I don't want to be an imposition."

"Lurline, Elphaba, you're not an imposition. Did that-" he stopped talking and drew a calming breath. "Let's try this again. I would really like to walk you home. So I know you're safe and because I enjoy your company, and not to try to get you naked, however fantastic that might be."

She couldn't help the smile. "Oh. Alright then." They started toward Crage at a leisurely pace.

"Finally. How are you so difficult?" he softened the tease with a grin. "I know I'm a guy, but come on. I have some self-control."

"So you _don't_ want to get me naked?"

"Are you kidding?" He ran a gaze over her that took all the humor out of their teasing. "If I could, I'd strip off your clothes with my teeth right here, but like I said, I have _some_ restraint."

That image was far more appealing than it should be. She forced herself to pull away.

"But your friendship is more important than that. Don't worry. I don't want to do anything to screw that up."

His hand reached for hers, and her eyes fell to the path. "Oh."

"I care too much about you to risk losing that." He kissed her hand gently.

"And Galinda."

There was a pause. "Sure, and Galinda."

The darkness pressed on them despite the well-lit pathways, and she fought the urge to fidget. Alone with him again, she couldn't help remembering the way his fingers felt against her skin, his lips on hers, their bodies melded together. The blood pounded in her ears. Perhaps the alcohol had affected her more than she cared to admit.

They reached her dorm, and she fished for her key. "What me to walk you up?" he asked carefully, and she hesitated.

"Would it be weird to say I don't know?"

He chuckled and took her hand. "Come on. Let's get you safely to bed."

She followed him up the stairs with trepidation, but when they reached the door, he let her go. He traded her hand for her chin and tipped her face up for a soft, innocent kiss.

"Sweet dreams, Elphie."

As if she could sleep after all that. "Night."

"I'll see you tomorrow." His fingertips skated over her knuckles. "Then we can figure out what to do about us."

"Us?"

He kissed her again, not quite as innocent. "Yes, us. If you want there to be one. But that's a tomorrow conversation. Unless you want me to tuck you in."

Oh, Oz, how she wanted to. But she took a step back. "Tomorrow. With Galinda." His eyebrow arched, and she blushed. "We'll talk then."

"Tomorrow," he promised with another soft kiss, and she let her fingers wind into the soft hair at the base of his neck.

"Mm, tomorrow."

He nodded toward the clock ticking a bold one-thirty. "You know, technically it's already tomorrow."

She rolled her eyes and stepped back to grip the doorknob. "Night, Fiyero. We'll talk in the morning."

He grinned at her. "Can't blame a guy for trying."

* * *

AN: Or in the words of deeplyshallow, "They have hot sex." If you haven't read the Wicked Writing Guide For Dummies, you're really missing out.

Well, that's my Fiyeraba and Elpharic chapters. I'm not sure if I'll continue these or stop here to work on another oneshot. Thank you for reading, and please let me know what you think. And for those of you who read The Toughest Case, the new chapter is fixed now.


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